“You’re doing too much for me.”
I squeezed back and said firmly, “You could never be a burden. You’re my mom.”
Even though the chemo left her exhausted most days, she still tried to help around the house. I would come back from the grocery store and find she had folded the laundry, or I’d see her carefully sweeping the porch even when I begged her to rest. “Mom, please,” I’d say, guiding her back to the couch with a blanket.
“You don’t have to lift a finger here. Your only job is to get better.”
“I just want to feel useful,” she’d say in that gentle way of hers. Then one morning, I had to leave for work in another city.
It was just for a day, but I still felt uneasy about going. I sat on the edge of Mom’s bed, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and said, “I’ll leave in the morning, but I’ll be back tomorrow around lunchtime. I promise I won’t be gone long.
Will you be alright without me?”
She smiled. “Julia, I’ll be fine. It’s only one night.
Daniel is here, and I’ll take it easy. You’ve done more than enough already.”Continue reading…
